


The Gunslinger Returns

by theflyingpeanut



Series: Overwatch Rides Again [6]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mercy is also trans but she's not really in the story much, Reyes and Reinhardt are in a relationship but I don't think there's enough here to tag that, Trans Jesse McCree, Trans Male Character, Trans Reaper | Gabriel Reyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:45:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9128422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingpeanut/pseuds/theflyingpeanut
Summary: Jesse McCree wasn't anyone when he came to Overwatch. Just a kid who didn't know why he was being given another chance. He didn't expect to find a purpose. He definitely didn't expect to find a family.It's been more than six years since he left, and almost a whole year since Winston tried to contact him. He's finally ready to answer the Recall. He's ready to come home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty different from the canon version of McCree joining Overwatch, because I'm not the biggest fan of it. Also, more trans characters in the overarching story, because I really like that. Also also, a bit of Reaper/Reinhardt, because I really, really like that. For a final also, this is the first non-femslash thing I've posted, so that's an interesting first. There'll probably be more after a bunch more femslash.

McCree was staring at a white ceiling when he woke. He tried to get out of the bed, but found that his right arm was handcuffed to it, while the left was… gone. Just a stump beneath the shoulder. He tried to calm his breathing as his memories came back to him. They'd been attacked during a robbery. He'd tried to fight his way out, get away with what he could, but he'd been hit, and then he was here. No idea where the rest of the gang were, if any of them were still left. He looked around the room, and saw a man sitting in the corner, staring at him. He stood up as their eyes met, walking over to the foot of his bed.

“Jesse McCree. Glad that you've finally joined us.” He kept his mouth shut, looking the man over. He was tall and dark skinned, but there was nothing to indicate who he was with. “I'm sorry about the arm. You got hit pretty bad. Nothing we could do to save it.”

“Who's we?” he asked, not breaking eye contact with him.

“The name's Gabriel Reyes, and I'm with Overwatch.” The man was grinning, his eyes glowing with pride. “I'm here to make you an offer.” McCree turned to the side and spat on the floor, before glowering at him.

“Lemme guess: I turn in the rest of the gang, and you'll let me fight for you instead of going to prison with them. About right?” The man stared at him for a second, before he burst in to laughter, clutching the rail at the end of the bed as he bent over. Finally, he stood up again, wiping a tear from his eye.

“I like you,” he chuckled. “Let me catch you up on some things. The Deadlock gang is done. There might be a couple of guys still out there, but the rest are either dead or in jail, with the exception of yourself.” He stood up straight, waiting a beat before continuing. “If I'm honest, I really don't think you're bothered by any of this. You didn't fit in with them. Since you've joined, you've killed one person in cold blood, and he was a member of the gang. Mean piece of shit too, so I'll thank you for that one.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” McCree growled, pulling against his cuffs. Reyes grinned, turning to pace the room while he continued.

“I know you moved folk to safety during robberies. I know you've let people go you were told to kill. Shot a few mercenaries in gunfights, but I can't claim any kind of high ground to judge you from there. You can put on whatever act you want, because I know you're not some cold-blooded killer.” He stayed silent again, not wanting to give anything away. This guy knew too much already, and he really didn't know how. “I'm not gonna let your life be wasted in some shit-hole prison.” The young man reacted, smirking and staring him down.

“Seems like you don't have a choice in the matter. I'm the one who decides if I'm gonna go to prison or if I'm gonna help you.” Reyes smirked back, eyes gleaming again.

“Don't think that I made myself clear. I'm not going to let a kid rot in jail for robbing folks with too much money to begin with. For killing a few folk who were professional killers themselves. You'll have to make your own way, but if that's what you wanna do, you'll have a head start on the law. Provided you don't hurt anyone else, I won't have any interest in chasing you down, which is something you should be glad of.”

“If you're gonna do that, then why the hell should I join up with you?” There was no reason for this guy to be asking for anything. He had the power here. If he wanted something, he could take it.

“Because you're a better man that you think.” He looked serious, standing up straight and proud. “You made a mistake joining the Deadlock gang, but we've all made mistakes. I understand. It's hard to be good when it's gonna starve you.” McCree wasn't sure how to respond to this, and watched him pace back and forth in front of his bed. “If you come with me, I can keep you safe. I can give you an environment that'll let you become the man you want to be, instead of the man you need to be to survive. And you've got no obligation to stay. If you decide that you want out, you're free to leave at any time. I've got no desire to start conscripting people. Doesn't lead to a healthy environment.” He stuck out a hand, holding it in front of him. “If you don't want to decide now, you don't have to. I can wait a few days. But the sooner you make your choice, the sooner we can get you out of here.” He waited. McCree still didn't know how to respond. He had no reason to trust this guy, to believe that what he was being offered was real. Still, even if it wasn't, he could find a way out. And if it was even half of what was being sold…

“When can we leave?” he answered, grabbing Reyes' hand. The man beamed at him, squeezing his hand and shaking it vigorously.

“We can be gone tonight, be in the base by tomorrow. Got a doc who can check you out, start looking into a prosthetic arm for you.” He started towards the door when McCree called him back, a knot forming in his stomach.

“I'm gonna need a binder for my chest. Before we leave, if you can. And we'll need to sort out my testosterone when we get there. Can your doc manage that?” He waited to see if there was any change in Reyes, any kind of negative reaction.

“We can get your hormones sorted when we arrive. Won't be a problem. There's plenty of people on the base getting the same stuff. As for the binder, I've already got that covered.” He grinned, moving towards his bag and pulling out a new binder. “The doctors cut you out of yours when they removed the rest of your clothes for the surgery. Figured it'd be rude to leave you without one.” He threw it over, and McCree grabbed it. “Thanks for reminding me. I really don't need to use those any more.” He stared at Reyes, taking a moment to realise what he meant, but before he could ask to confirm it, the man was gone. He laid back in the bed, trying to process everything that had just happened. He couldn't be sure that he'd made the right choice, but it was starting to look promising.


	2. Chapter 2

“Excellent! You've done well today Jesse!” McCree collapsed on to a bench, grateful to be done with with the day's workout. Reinhardt had been helping him with his training since the doc had cleared him for it, and he was always an encouraging presence. Still, it was slow going. Getting his prosthetic had meant being unable to do any strength training for a few months, and it was frustrating how long it was taking to get back up to the level he was at before.

“If you say so,” he sighed, taking a drink from his water bottle. He felt a giant hand ruffling his hair, and glared up at Reinhardt, watching a massive grin spread over his face.

“I know it must feel like it's not going anywhere sometimes, but you're making great progress. Most people wouldn't be able to do half of what you're doing this soon after getting a new arm.” He looked at the ground, trying not to let Reinhardt see how red his face was. He still wasn't used to how supportive the people here were, and Reinhardt and Reyes seemed to be particularly proud of any accomplishment he made. It felt unusual. Good, but unusual. “Let's do your cool down, then relax. I think you've done enough for today.”

~

He came back down to the main hall after his shower, finding no one there, but hearing some classical music drifting from the kitchen. He walked over to the door, and found Reinhardt standing behind Reyes, his arms wrapped around him while he was chopping vegetables. He coughed as he walked over to the fridge, sighing as he grabbed some orange juice from the fridge.

“Are you two ever not all over each other?” Reinhardt grinned at him, taking the knife out of Reyes' hand before spinning him around, smiling down at him. He moved one hand to his hip and took hold of the other, starting to waltz around the kitchen while Reyes laughed. McCree rolled his eyes, about to bring the carton of juice to his lips when he heard Reyes cough.

“Use a glass or buy your own juice,” he said, before turning back to Reinhardt, staring up at him. “And as much fun as this may be, we should probably save it till after I'm finished cooking. Got a few more people coming back to the base tonight, and they're gonna need some food.” Reinhardt sighed, letting go of Reyes before bursting into laughter after being pulled down into a quick kiss. Reyes grinned and picked up his knife again, turning to McCree as he started chopping vegetables again. “So, Reinhardt tells me that your training's gone well today.”

“I mean, I guess,” he said, grabbing a glass from the cupboard. “Still feels like it's going too slow though.” He watched Reyes shake his head, and leaned back against the wall, drinking his juice. “Arm still feels too heavy. Better than it was, but still too much.” Reyes lifted up the board to the pot, putting everything in it before turning back around to him.

“You've had that for 6 months. Most people would take at least a year to get to where you are right now. You know that, right?” McCree nodded, looking down at the ground. “Reinhardt's told me he thinks you ready to start training for missions, and I agree.” He looked back up, feeling stunned for a moment, before rushing forwards and hugging him. Reyes laughed and hugged him back, and suddenly they were both in the air when Reinhardt picked them up, squeezing them tightly. “Alright, alright, calm down guys,” he said, breaking out of their grips, still laughing. “You'll still need to keep up with the strength training and physio, and it'll be a while before you actually go on a mission, but it'll be good to get you used to working with a team.” McCree hopped backward, pumping his arms in the air and cheering. This was everything he'd been working towards since he'd came here, and he couldn't contain his excitement. Reyes had gone back to the food, stirring the pot while Reinhardt leaned back on the counter and grinned at him dancing around the room.

“When are we gonna start?” Reinhardt started laughing again, and Reyes shook his head, not looking up from the food. “Seriously, if we could start right now I would.”

“We'll need to clear it with Jack and Ana first, but that shouldn't be a problem.” Reinhardt tapped his fingers on his cheek, biting his bottom lip as he thought. “Hopefully, you should be able to start next week. We'll be supervising, of course. You're our responsibility.” McCree rolled his eyes again, but still couldn't keep the smile from his face.

“You don't have to worry about anything, dad. I'm not gonna let you down.” He stopped dead the instant he realized what he had said, praying that they hadn't heard him. He watched Reinhardt cover his open mouth with his hands, making some kind of squeaking noise, while Reyes slowly turned around, a massive grin growing on his face.

“Do you think of us as father figures?” McCree could feel his face heating up, and stared straight down at the ground, hearing Reyes start to chuckle. Suddenly, the door opened behind him, and he heard the last voice he wanted to at that moment.

“What on earth are you three doing?” Ana asked, walking in to the kitchen with her daughter behind her. Ana had brought her in on quite a few occasions, and she seemed to have shot up in height in every single time. She was getting close to being as tall as him, but she was also a lot skinnier. Gangly, if he was being honest. She waved at him when she came in, moving to the fridge and grabbing some juice for herself.

“Just talking about how good Jesse's been doing,” Reyes said, smiling across at him. He grabbed a lid and put it on the pot, before turning back towards Ana. “There's actually something I've been wanting to talk to you about. If you've got some time just now, we could just let the food simmer while we get that sorted.” She nodded, patting Fareeha on the shoulder as she turned around.

“I'll be back in a bit, so you just hang out with Jesse for a while.” The girl nodded, and Ana left the room, followed by Reyes who took a moment to hug Fareeha and ruffle her hair. Reinhardt left last, picking her up and spinning her round while she laughed, before turning to Jesse as he set her down.

“We'll let you know how it goes, son.” He smiled softly as he left the room, and McCree felt himself start to blush again. He still felt mortified by what he'd said, but hearing Reinhardt call him son was nice in a way he hadn't expected. He looked at Fareeha and grinned, hoping she hadn't noticed.

“So, any ideas what you wanna do?” He watched her drink her juice for a moment, deep in thought, eventually shaking her head.

“Is there anyone new around I haven't met? Mum mentioned there might be someone coming to visit or something.” McCree racked his brains for a second, before he realised who she must have been talking about.

“Oh yeah, Torbjörn's friend. Or family friend or something. Angela.” She nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Apparently she's training to be a doctor. Torbjörn invited her to have a look round. Think he want's to convince her to join up after she's done all her training. Apparently she's some kinda genius. You wanna meet her?” Fareeha nodded again, and he walked out of the room with her in tow, heading towards the hangar.

“Anything else happening aside from the visitor?” Fareeha was always looking for more on what was happening, but McCree knew her mother didn't want her to get too many details. Still, he couldn't see the harm in letting her know a bit about how things were going.

“The usual stuff. Morrison's out on a mission. Some mercenary group causing problems. Otherwise, things are pretty normal.” He grinned down at her, stretching his arms above his head. “Oh, and it's no big deal, but they're gonna start training me for missions.” He watched her mouth drop open, and she suddenly hugged him, patting him on the back and laughing.

“That's awesome! You've definitely earned it. Mum's always talking about how hard you've been training.” He felt himself start to blush slightly, and ran his hand through his hair, grinning happily.

“Yeah, well, it's still gotta be cleared with Ana and Jack, but if what you're saying's true, then it shouldn't be an issue.” The two of them kept talking about different things that had been happening on the base and in school, heading towards the hangar where Torbjörn tended to stay, figuring that he'd know where they could find Angela. As they walked up to the door, the woman came rushing out, looking at a tablet in her hand, and walked right into Fareeha, who stumbled backwards when their heads collided.

“I'm so sorry!” she yelped, reaching out a hand to grab Fareeha before she fell over. McCree watched her look up at Angela, and grinned when he saw a her face get a little bit redder than normal. “Are you OK?” she asked, and Fareeha stared at the ground and mumbled something under her breath, and he started laughing.

“Angela, this is Fareeha, Ana's daughter. She heard there was someone new on base and she was just desperate to meet you.” He sawher look at him with pure rage in her eyes, but it disappeared the instant Angela grabbed her hand and started to shake it.

“Well, it's lovely to meet you Fareeha. I really am so sorry for barging into you like that. Are you sure I didn't hurt you?” She moved her hand to Fareeha's head, moving her fringe out of the way, and she darted backwards, eyes fixed on the ground.

“I'm fine!” she yelled, clutching her hands at her side and looking anywhere but at Angela. “It's nice to meet you too,” she mumbled, rubbing a hand over her head. “Jesse said that you're going to be a doctor?” Angela smiled and nodded, quickly flicking through something on her tablet before looking back up at her.

“I've still got a few years of med school and training first, but yes, I am. I'd like to work here one day. I think I could do a lot of good with what Overwatch offers.”

“Me too,” Fareeha said, face perking up, before her eyes shot wide open. “Not that I want you too work here! Not that I don't! I mean, I'm going to join Overwatch. That's all.” Angela grinned across at her, and McCree struggled to hold back a laugh as he watched her get more and more nervous.

“Well, maybe one day we'll be working together then.” She looked back at McCree, seemingly not noticing how her eyes shot straight to the floor when she brought that up. “I need to go to a meeting, but maybe we can talk some more later?” He nodded, and she turned back to Fareeha, shaking her hand again. “It's been a pleasure. I hope you have a nice day.” Shea nodded, and stared after her as she left, moving to punch McCree's arm the instant she was out of sight.

“What the hell was that for?” he chuckled, unable to resist the urge to laugh any longer. Fareeha was glowing, and he couldn't think of a time when she'd acted like this. “Seems unfair to blame me for you having a crush.” She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, struggling to find something to say, before glaring at him and huffing.

“If you don't say anything about this, I won't saying anything about you called Gabe and Reinhardt dad. One of them, at least.” He stopped dead, staring at her in horror. “Yeah, I heard, and it was really funny. So, I won't use that to tease you, if you don't use this. Deal?” She thrust out her hand, and he grabbed it, shaking it firmly and glaring back at her.

“Deal. Now let's never speak of this again.” He let go, and turned back towards the hangar. “You wanna go see Torbjörn?” She nodded, and they set off into the hangar together, both trying their best to hide their embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was oddly hard to get through. Lots of rewrites. Don't entirely know why.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a long time since anyone had thrown McCree a birthday party, and even though he turned 18 that day, he hadn't suspected a thing when Reyes took him out shopping for the day. They headed to town, picking up some supplies for the base. They normally got things delivered on a set schedule, but if things got low quicker than expected, then it was no great hardship to stock up themselves. When they got back, the base seemed almost empty, and he soon found out why. Everyone had been hiding in the mess hall as they entered, jumping out and cheering his name as he walked in with Reyes at his back. McCree felt a strong hand clutching his shoulder, and looked over it to see him beaming down at him, pushing him towards the crowd.

As much as he tried to play it cool, he couldn't stop himself from getting into the mood. There were balloons and streamers, and pretty much everyone that he liked was there. Ana, Reinhardt, Fareeha, even Morrison and Törbjorn. There were others as well, faces he'd seen hanging around the base, even if he'd never really learned there names. The last time anyone had actually thrown a birthday party for him, it had just been him and his grandpa, so this was an odd experience. Good, but odd. The gifts were a particularly nice surprise. Videos, books, games. A beautiful serape from Ana and Fareeha, along with the customary teasing about what a handsome cowboy he was going to be. A set of tools he could use to repair his arm from Morrison, and a promise from Törbjorn that he'd be taught how to use them. Finally, Reinhardt walked up to him, lifting him off the ground and hugging him tightly, telling him that Reyes would be bringing his present in later. After that, it had been a standard party. He ate cake, popped balloons with Fareeha to scare the commander, stole some drinks from those who'd had a bit too much. Eventually, he needed to get some air, and he snuck out back, watching Reinhardt dance with Ana and her daughter as he left the building. He moved round the side, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes, glad for a bit of space. He was enjoying the party, but there were a lot of people there. More than he was used to being around. Even when the base was busy, he wouldn't normally be round more than a few at a time, a fact that he greatly appreciated.

“Hope you're not sneaking out of your own party.” He opened his eyes, and saw Reyes walking over to him, holding a box and smirking at him. “If you're not enjoying yourself, you can tell us. We can tone it down a bit if that suits you better.” McCree shook his head, looking up at the sky.

“Nah, that's fine. I'm having a good time. Just need a break.” Being here still felt odd sometimes. In the gang, he'd spent most of his time by himself, and he'd been alone for a few years before that as well. At least, he had since his grandpa passed. Here, though, he always felt like there were people around him. Someone he could go to if he wanted to talk, or train, or just be near someone. He felt like he had a family, and it had been years since that was true.

“Well, if you don't mind, I was looking to give you your present.” He turned his head to Reyes, watching him approach with arms outstretched. “Me and Reinhardt both decided on it, but since he was busy working on the party, I got to be the one to sort out most of the details.” Reyes was grinning as McCree took the box from box from him, and he wondered what it was that was getting him so excited. “C'mon. Open it.” It had been very neatly wrapped, and he carefully took it off, handing the paper back to Reyes as ho opened up the box, unable to keep the look of shock from his face as he saw what was inside. “I know how much you like those old westerns. I also know you've been practicing shooting with a pistol while you were getting used to the new arm. Figured a six-shooter would suit you pretty well.” It was definitely a revolver, though it was a lot chunkier than the ones he'd seen in the films. A lot more modern. And on the base of the grip, there was…

“Is that a spur?” He looked up at Reyes, raising an eyebrow as he chuckled, leaning on the wall next to him.

“Jack probably wouldn't like it, but I wouldn't recommend taking his advice when it comes to style. The man wouldn't know fun if it jumped onto his lap.” McCree glanced over at him, spotting a slight look of worry on his face. “So, you like it?” He stared back down at the box, lifting the gun out, feeling it's weight. It wouldn't be the first one he'd owned, but never anything like this. This was something built with him in mind. It felt right in his hand, the perfect size and weight. It was kind of a ridiculous thing, and maybe not the most practical choice for a sidearm, but…

“I love it.” He saw Reyes' grin get wider and wider, and put the weapon back in the box before hugging him. “This is the nicest things anyone's ever gotten me. Thank you.” He heard Reyes chuckle over his shoulder, squeezing him tighter.

“Can't wait to tell Ana that. She was so smug about that serape.” McCree pulled back, frowning at him and raising an eyebrow. “Fine, fine. Spoilsport.” He let go, turning around and walking back to the party, shaking his head. “You come back in when you're ready. And remember to thank Reinhardt too. He's put a lot of effort into this.” He nodded, watching Reyes head back inside, and leaned back against the building. He looked down at his present again, and couldn't keep himself was smiling. It really was one of the most thoughtful things he could remember receiving. Hell, every gift had been. Even the repair kit from Morrison was… well, it was a very Morrison brand of thoughtful. Same for Törbjorn. He took a deep breath, and headed back towards the door. He needed to let Reinhardt know how grateful he was for arranging all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the idea of McCree really coming into the cowboy aesthetic over time. Gathering bits and pieces until he's just ready to fully commit himself to the look, helped along by friends picking gifts up for him.
> 
> I also very much like Overwatch being a big gay family, and I especially like the idea that it has always been a big gay family, even when it was much bigger than it is after being reformed.


	4. Chapter 4

McCree kept his back pressed against the wall, staying out of sight of the men walking around below. He didn't know why Talon had sent a unit here, but it couldn't be good. Either they were following him, which meant that he'd led the Overwatch members coming to pick him up into an ambush, or they were tracking Overwatch, and he was going to walk into one.

It was an abandoned town, left empty after the crisis had ended, so there'd been plenty of places to hide when he saw their ship coming in. That they hadn't had time to search the building he'd chosen was a matter of luck more than anything else, but he'd take whatever he could get right now. This place had been perfect for the pickup because it was remote. Because no-one would be here. Now it just meant that there wouldn't be any backup coming.

He heard a dropship travel overhead, and a few moments later, gunfire erupted at the other edge of town. He swore under his breath, watching the two men who'd been skirting around the streets under him turn and run off towards it. There were about 12 Talon agents total, heavily armed, and he couldn't know how well the folk Overwatch had sent would be able to cope with them. He started to turn, planning to sneak up behind Talon and split their attention for a bit, when he found himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun, wielded by a man in black.

“Don't move. I'm not here to kill you. Just to talk.” The edges of his clothing were unclear, a constant black haze rising from his body, and the sight of it almost worried McCree more than the gun. Almost.

“Kinda hard to believe that when you're pointing a shotgun at me.” The man chuckled, and there was something familiar about it, something that made his body go cold.

“You haven't changed a bit, Jesse.” It struck him then. His voice, the way he stood, the way he held his gun.

“Reyes.” The man who'd brought him to Overwatch. Who'd given him a second chance. The man who'd died in the explosion that had brought down the organization he'd built. “What happened to you?”

“That's not important. What's important is what happens next.” McCree saw the outline of his body become hazier, more black mist seeming to fill the room as he spoke. “Talon is going to take down Overwatch. We're going to kill them all. If you go back, you'll be die with them.” Slowly, his mask disappeared, revealing the face underneath. It was covered in scars and burns, the skin cracking apart as more of the black mist rose from it. “I'm giving you a chance. I won't be able to give you another. You can go live your life somewhere else. Start a family. Be happy.” He started to back away, slowly dropping his gun as he approached the window opposite McCree.

“Why the hell are you working with Talon?” They were everything Reyes had fought against, everything he'd despised. They were killers for hire, available to the highest bidder. “None of this makes any goddamn sense.” A sad smile flitted across his face, as his body started to disappear, smoke floating through the window.

“Overwatch should have died with me. What's come back isn't fit for purpose. They're going to get in the way, and they won't be able to do what's necessary. But Talon can. You'll see.” McCree went to answer, but Reyes was gone, flowing out of the window and out of sight. He closed his eyes, breathing deep. This wasn't right. It wasn't possible. An explosion in the distance brought him back to his senses, and he realized that Reyes was right. This really didn't matter right now. His people were in trouble, and he needed to help them. He checked his gun, making sure it was fully loaded, before heading down the stairs and out of the building, running towards the firefight.

~

After Mercy and Winston had left the room, McCree let his head collapse onto the table, groaning loudly. He'd had to explain everything that had been happening since he'd first left Overwatch, and it had been an incredibly boring hour. Still, it had been preferable to the one before that, where Morrison had grilled him about why Talon were there, how they could have followed him. He knew why it was happening, and he knew Morrison had always been suspicious of everyone, but the implication that he might have betrayed them set him off, and the two had nearly been at blows when Winston escorted the former commander out.

In the end, they'd been satisfied with what he had to say, and had left him alone in the operations room, heading off to do their own things. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, a yawn escaping his mouth. It had been nearly an entire day since he'd slept, and it was a constant struggle to stay awake. He got up to leave the room, trying to remember exactly where the dorms were, but when he opened the door, he found Reinhardt leaning on the wall outside, arms folded across his chest. McCree stopped and stared as he turned to face him, a smile spreading across his face.

“Hello, Jesse.” He waited for a moment, looking Reinhardt over. He'd aged a lot in the years since they'd last seen each other. His hair seemed thinner, and he was covered in even more wrinkles than he had before, along with what seemed to be a couple of new scars. Then again, McCree could lay claim to most of those himself. Especially the scars.

“Hey.” He waited a moment before rushing forward and throwing his arms around Reinhardt. He heard a snort erupt from him as massive arms wrapped around his own back, crushing his face into Reinhardt's chest as they hugged him tight. “It's been too long,” he laughed, closing his eyes and feeling his entire body relaxed. He'd been worried about this meeting more than any other. It wasn't that the others weren't important to him, but no one else had meant as much to him. No one but Reyes.

“It really has.” He felt a hand lift up to the back of his head, mussing his hair, and looked up to see the smile beaming from his face. “I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to see you again.” McCree smiled back at him, pulling out of the hug, wiping at the corner of his eye as he felt a tear start to form.

“Well, I'm back. Got no intention of leaving anytime soon, either.” He'd ran when things had started to fall apart before, and maybe it was the smart call, but that didn't mean that he felt good about it. Now, he had a chance for a do-over. Make sure that the same mistakes weren't made again. He wasn't going to waste it.

“Excellent,” Reinhardt chuckled, slapping on the back and dragging him along as he started down the hall. “For now, if you're up for it, I think we should get some coffee. From what I've heard, you've been up to a lot these past few years. I'm eager to know how much of it is true.” Part of him still felt tired, but the thought of catching up had livened him enough that he was happy to stay awake for a while longer.

“Sounds good, so long as you're willing to do the same. Been hearing tales about a knight traveling across Europe, righting wrongs and fighting villains, and I'm eager to get some more details.” Reinhardt snorted, and for a moment, McCree felt as though he'd never left. He wanted to ask him other things as well. Ask about Reyes. For now, though, he was content to let the good times continue for as long as possible. There'd be time for the rest later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it finished. Something pretty different to what I normally write, but hopefully you enjoyed it. The next story is gonna be back to the femslash smut I love so much.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me at theflyingpeanutwritesthings.tumblr.com. It's where I'll put updates about what I'm writing, little ideas I'm having, along with reblogging all sorts of other gay things.


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